Carroll County High School has its own superhero in Carroll County College and Career Readiness Counselor Rachel Mefford. She begins her third year at Carroll County High School in a position funded as part of the district’s four-year Race to the Top grant.

Mefford’s mission is to make sure the students in grades 8th through 12th meet the Kentucky Department of Education’s standards for being college and/or career ready.

Here is some good news for rural Americans who are concerned about the reliability of mail delivery following postal cutbacks for several years: Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee ordered a study of on-time mail delivery outside of the country’s urban areas. The National Newspaper Association, long an advocate on rural postal service issues because many smaller newspapers are delivered through the mail, applauded the study.

Earlier this year, when the General Assembly approved legislation designed to curb the state’s heroin epidemic, many called the law a national model because of the way it blended additional treatment, smart-on-crime measures and tougher penalties for traffickers.

On Monday, we learned that another comprehensive law in this field, this one targeting prescription drug abuse, is making the significant difference that other legislators and I had hoped when we passed it in 2012.

I have very fond memories from my childhood of going on summer vacation with my family. There is something exciting about packing your bags, driving several hours, and being away from home for a few days. However, now that I am an adult who does not get his summers off, I have found that I enjoy them even more. It is good to get away and take a break with my family. It is good to interrupt the routine, step back from the business of life, and be away with each other. It is good to rest.

Jefferson Community and Technical College graduate Karen Magee was recently awarded the Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarship and the Kentucky Tradition Scholarship at the University of Kentucky.

The Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarship covers the cost of undergraduate in-state tuition and mandatory registration fees for up to two years of undergraduate study. The Kentucky Tradition Scholarship is $1,500 per semester for up to two years.

Every day on our roadways, emergency responders and public safety personnel put their lives at risk to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth. In an effort to protect those who protect us, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety is joining the Kentucky State Police (KSP) to promote the message: Move Over. It’s the Law.

“Our vision is to create a safe transportation system for all Kentuckians,” said KOHS Executive Director Bill Bell. “That includes our men and women of law enforcement, emergency services and public safety.”

The State Journal
Whether it’s from stupidity, negligence, being distracted — or some combination of the three — the number of children and pets that die in closed-up cars each summer is staggering. Perhaps in relative terms the numbers aren’t so large — 38 kids and more than 150 dogs — but for something that is totally preventable, even one of each would be far too many and a tragedy in the lives of those involved.